Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-30
NJ r@ -
81 E-SS.
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.
Puth0ro q 'Nps SoloraoEsMreS $5hs.Ete.
CONTINUED


John Mel woke early next morning, feeling
as sore and stiff as though he had been well
beaten and then strapped up tight IN horse
girths. He made shift, however, to dress
himself, and then, with the help of a stick,
Ijmped through the French windows that
opened from his room on to the veranda and
surveyed the scene before him 1t was de-
hghtful spot AT the back of the house was
the steep, bowlder strewn face of the fat
topped hin that curved round on each side,
embosomng great slope of green, in the lap
of which the house was placed The house
itself was solidly built of brown stone and,
with the exception of the wagon shed and
other outhouses, which were rooted with gal
vanized iron that shone and glistened in the
rays of the morning sun in way that would
have made an eagle blink, was covered with
rich brown thatch. All along its front ran
wide veranda, up the treilie work of which
green vines and blooming ereepers trailed
pleasantly, and beyond was the broad car
riage drive of red SOIL bor,lered with bushy
orange trees laden with olOrous flowers and
green and golden fruit On the farther side
Of the orange trees were the gardens, fenced
in with low walls of rough stone, and the
orchard full of standard fruit trees, and
beyond these again the oxen and ostrich
kraaIs, the latter full of long neckei birds.
To the right Of the house grew thriving
plantations of blue gum and black waffle,
aud to the left was II broad stretch of cult
waited lands living so that they could be iI'ri-
gated for winter crops by means of water led
from the great spring that gushed from the
mountain side high above the house and gave
its name of Nooifontein 10 tine place
All these and many more things John Mel
saw as he looked ont from the veranda at
Mooifontein, but, for the moment at any
rate. they were lost in the wild aud wonderful
beauty Of the panorama that rolled away for
miles and miles at his feet, till il was ended
by the mighty range of the Drakensberg to
the left, tipped here and there with SNOW,
and by the dim and vast horizon of the swell
ing Transvaal plains to the right and far in
front of him. 1t was beautiful sight, and
one to make the blood run in Il mans veins and
his heart beat happily because he was alive
to see it. Mile upon mile of grass clothed
veldt beneath, bending and ripping like
corn field in the quick breath of the morning,
space upon space of deep blue SKY overhead
with neer cloud to dim it, and the swift
rush of the wind between Then to the left
there, impressive to look on and conducive TO
solemn thoughts the mountains rear their
crests against the sky, and, crowned with the
gathered SHOWS of the centuries whose monu-
ments they are, from ieon to aeon gaze males-
tically out over the wide plains and the
ephemeral, ant like races that tread them, and
while they endure think themselves tue mas
ters of their little world And over ali
mountain, plan and flashing stream-the
glorious light of the African and the
spirit of life moving now rs it once moved
upon the darkenIng waters.
John stood and gazed at the untamed
beauty of the scene, in his mind comparing it
to many cultivated views that he had known,
and coming to the conclusion that, however
desirable the presence of CIVILIZED man might
be in the world, it could not he said that his
operations really added to its beauty For
the old line. Nature unadornetl adorned the
most still remains 6rne in more serrses than
one. Presently his reflections were inter
rupted by the step OF Sllas Croft, which, not
withstaniing his age and bent frame. still
rang firm euough-and he turned to greet
him.
SWELL, Capt Mel" said the old man, "up
already! 1t looks well if you mean to take
to farming Yes, it's a pretty view, and a
pretty place, too. Wei, | made it Twenty
five years ago | rode up here and saw this
spot. Look, you see that rock there behind
the house, slept under it and woke at sun
rise and looked out al this beautiful view and
at the great vedt lit was all alive with game
them, and | said to myself, 'Sllas, for five
and twenty years have you wandered about
this great country, and now You are getting
tired of 1t: you've never seen a farer spot
than this a healthier; now be wise man
and stop here And so | did | bought
5000 morgen 5000 acres, more or less, for
so down and a case of gin, and |
set TO work 10 make this place, and you
see | have made it Ay, it has grown
under my hand, every stone and tree of it,
and YOU know what that means in a new
country. But one way and another | have
done it, and now have got tooolA to manage
it, and that's how | came to give out that |
wanted "A partner, as obi Snow told YOU down
in Durham. You see, told Snow il must be